Find out how popular the last name Mora is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mora.

Mora, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Mora surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mora in America

Mora is the 583rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mora surname appeared 57,464 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Mora.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mora to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Mora

The surname Mora has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "mora," which means "mulberry tree." This connection suggests that the surname may have initially been associated with individuals who lived near or worked with mulberry trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mora can be found in the historical records of Aragon, a region in northeastern Spain. In the 13th century, a document from the Kingdom of Aragon mentions a person named Domingo de Mora, indicating the surname's presence during that era.

Another notable early reference is in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This hunting treatise contains the name of a certain Pedro Mora, suggesting the surname's use among individuals involved in hunting or forestry activities.

In the 15th century, historical records from the city of Seville in southern Spain mention a family with the surname Mora. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its initial regions and was becoming more widespread across different parts of the country.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Mora was Pedro de Mora (c. 1452-1521), a Spanish explorer and conquistador. He accompanied Christopher Columbus on his fourth voyage to the Americas and later participated in the conquest of Cuba.

Another notable figure was Juan de Mora (c. 1510-1580), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who served in the Conquest of the Canary Islands and later became a member of the Council of the Indies, which oversaw Spain's colonial affairs.

In the 17th century, Gaspar de Mora (1597-1675) was a Spanish painter who worked in Madrid and gained recognition for his religious and portrait paintings.

During the 18th century, Andrés de Mora (1718-1789) was a Spanish architect and engineer who played a significant role in the development of urban planning and infrastructure in Madrid.

In the 19th century, José Joaquín de Mora (1783-1864) was a Spanish-American writer, poet, and diplomat who spent much of his career in various Latin American countries and the United States.

These examples illustrate the rich historical presence of the surname Mora, which can be traced back to medieval Spain and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including explorers, military leaders, artists, architects, and writers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mora

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mora.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mora was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Mora has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Mora was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mora, please contact us.

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